Two of my favourite industries, technology and book publishing, have suddenly merged in a company based in Hackney here in London called Lost My Name. Lost My Name was founded in 2012 and publishes personalized children’s books. The above is a screenshot of a page from a book personalized for a girl named Urdur (they don’t do the Icelandic “ð” in Urður so “d” will have to do – just like in her birth certificate from Camden council).
Since launching in 2012, Lost My Name have sold a whopping 600,000 such books in six languages. They’ve just sold one more, to me.
The company describes itself as a “full-stack” technology startup rather than a book publisher: it creates the stories and illustrations in-house, but also the technology to customise the £18.99 books and order them online, as well as handling the printing, distribution and marketing.
As much as the phrase “full stack” annoys me, it actually applies here. A full stack technology startup that publishes children’s books. That just rolls off the tongue.
Their next book will have a space theme and apparently they’re exploring the idea of using Google Earth type images to zoom in on each child’s house. Slightly creepy perhaps, but I hope they do it. I’m so going to get that one. Erm, for Urður of course.